But, before I start, I need to write something in bold, italics, uppercase, with many exclamation marks to grab your attention:

EVERYONE CAN BE CREATIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please read this.

What I’ve learnt from studying design for four years in college is that it doesn’t matter if you’re creative.

Then what do you need to be to be a graphic designer?

You just have to be human.

You need to give up the belief that you can be wrong at anything that you do. A lot of us focus too much on thinking about what is right and what is not, but the trick is to say/do what is on your mind no matter what. It may be wrong, it may be right. But what you have done is express yourself without condition.

When I was in my third year, a few of us were talking about how can we make our course much better. We came up with a course that should be taken by everyone in the first year. So, you have a week where you do something, anything. The weirder it is the better. Something like: walk in broken shoes around the campus; wear a cast as if your arm was broken; wear one shirt the entire week and let people write whatever they want on it; eat everything with a butter knife (no spoons, or forks), etc.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? But, what’s the point of doing this? The point of this course would never be told to the students. But I’ll tell you: it is to encourage free thinking. And by free thinking, I really mean free thinking. This is what design is all about. Just coming up with, and doing really weird stuff without any judgement and without any clear goal at the end

Anyone can be creative. It’s a skill that you learn. It’s just like writing. You didn’t give up on writing when you were little just because there were adults who could write so much better than you.

Drawing, sketching, software skills, etc. will be much easier to use once you have an idea that needs expressing. They are the second step. What’s the point of learning how to use a pencil if you have nothing to write?

This is the basis of any kind of design: graphic design, product design, furniture design, etc.

“Once you realize that everything around you has been created by someone no smarter than you, a whole new world opens up for you.” -Steve Jobs

That’s why most people who practice design, live and breathe this philosophy in their daily life: clothing, homes, vacations,etc. They just look and feel different.

Again, I feel the need to say something in italics, bold, and uppercase.

DON’T LET ANYONE TELL YOU THAT YOU AREN’T CREATIVE ENOUGH. (WATCH TED TALK BELOW)

1. Reading list:

   1. Creative Confidence, by David M. Kelley, and Tom Kelley. (Also a TED talk that you should watch):Why We Buy, by Paco Underhill

2. Ways of Seeing, by John Berger

3. Everything by John Berger

4. Whatever you think, think the opposite, by Paul Arden

5. Everything by Paul Arden

There are many more, but you should start with these!